Approximately 700,000 people in the United States play either an electric or acoustic version of the guitar. It is one of the five most popular instruments in the United States, and there is an extensive market for guitar accessories and variations. Many guitar enthusiasts own multiple instruments because each of type of instrument has a distinctive type of sound, and physical qualities which affect the playing experience. The components of a guitar which produce its sound are strings of varying gauges, frets, tuning keys and the shape and size of the neck and body. A guitar is often used for solo performances, because it can produce many notes and harmonies. A guitar is typically played by holding it in an upright position against the body.
One variation of a guitar is a bass guitar, which is specifically configured to produce lower pitches. A bass guitar typically has strings of heavier gauges and which are longer in length. A bass is usually played in bands and it less common to see a solo performance by a bass guitarist. The bass guitar produces fewer notes and harmonies, and generally complements other instruments in a performance setting. A bass guitar, like a standard guitar, is typically played by holding it in an upright position against the body.
A dulcimer is a traditional American folk instrument which is played while holding the instrument on the lap or placing it on a substantially flat surface, and plucking or strumming the strings with one hand, while moving the other hand along the frets of the instrument.
A dulcimer typically produces a characteristic sound known as “drone” where a note or chord is continuously sounded throughout much or all of a piece. Although it is technically possible to produce a drone on a guitar, it not desirable to do so because tuning the guitar to do so is cumbersome and effectively eliminates the ability of the guitarist to perform many standard chord configurations.
Another device known to those skilled in the musical arts is a hand-held resonating or “sustaining” device which may be used to produce a variety of sounds not usually playable on an electric guitar. The sounds may stimulate the bow of a violin. One such commonly known commercially available device is the EBow™ which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,444. By varying the EBow's position on a string, the player can produce different string overtones and can also gain an additional octave pitch known as “harmonic mode,” which produce a higher sound instead of the fundamental note. However, it is difficult to control a resonating device in relation to a particular string because it is a separately held device. Permanently mounted sustaining devices have traditionally interacted with all, rather than select, strings.